The Mid-Atlantic Council’s Ecosystems and Ocean Planning and River Herring/Shad Advisory Panels (APs) will meet jointly via webinar to provide recommendations on the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan. This discussion will be followed by a River Herring/Shad AP discussion of recent river herring/shad catch cap performance and related issues.

The Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass AP will meet on Friday, May 3 from 10AM-11:30AM via webinar to provide comments on the development of the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan. The AP will review preliminary results of a recent strategic planning stakeholder survey, provide comments on the performance of the 2014-2018 strategic plan, and provide recommendations for priorities for the 2020-2024 plan.

The Council’s Bluefish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on Thursday, April 25, 2019 from 9:30 AM-11:00 AM via webinar to provide comments on the development of the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan. The AP will review preliminary results of a recent strategic planning stakeholder survey, provide comments on the performance of the 2014-2018 strategic plan, and provide recommendations for priorities for the 2020-2024 plan.

The Council’s Tilefish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 from 9:30 AM-11:00 AM via webinar to provide comments on the development of the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan. The AP will review preliminary results of a recent strategic planning stakeholder survey, provide comments on the performance of the 2014-2018 strategic plan, and provide recommendations for priorities for the 2020-2024 plan.

The Council’s Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel (AP) will meet on Monday, April 22, 2019 from 1:00 PM-2:30 PM via webinar to provide comments on the development of the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan. The AP will review preliminary results of a recent strategic planning stakeholder survey, provide comments on the performance of the 2014-2018 strategic plan, and provide recommendations for priorities for the 2020-2024 plan.

The Council’s Surfclam and Ocean Quahog (SCOQ) Advisory Panel (AP) will meet via webinar on Friday, April 19, 2019 from 9:30AM-12:30PM. The purpose of the meeting is to create the 2019 fishery performance report to provide structured input from the SCOQ AP members to the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and Council, for consideration at their May and June 2019 Meetings, respectively. The report is specifically used to contextualize catch histories for the SSC by providing information about fishing effort, market trends, environmental changes, and other factors. In addition, the Advisory Panel will be asked to provide feedback on the development of the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan, after reviewing the results of a recent strategic planning stakeholder survey.

The Council’s Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel (AP) will meet via webinar on Friday, April 12. The purposes of the meeting include: 1. To create a Fishery Performance Report, which facilitates structured input from AP members on the MSB specifications process for the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), and 2. Gather Advisory Panel feedback on the development of the Council’s 2020-2024 strategic plan, after reviewing the results of a recent strategic planning stakeholder survey. An agenda and background documents will be posted on this page prior to the meeting.

Input will be taken first on the strategic plan and then on the MSB fisheries.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will hold a joint webinar meeting of their Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panels. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss potential changes to commercial management measures, including the state-by-state commercial quota allocations managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, federal in-season closure regulations, and other measures. The Council recently initiated an amendment to consider these and other issues; however, they agreed to postpone development of management alternatives until later in the year after the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Black Sea Bass Commercial Working Group has made further progress on options for revisions to the state-by-state commercial quota allocations.

Webinar Connection

To join the call, please dial: 1-888-585-9008, followed by the room number: 705-426-714

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a public webinar meeting of its Advisory Panels (APs) for management plans requiring commercial permits (Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish; Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass; Bluefish; Spiny Dogfish; Surfclam and Ocean Quahog; and Tilefish). The purpose of this meeting is for the APs to provide input on the upcoming Commercial Electronic Vessel Trip Report (eVTR) Omnibus Framework and associated topics. The Council will consider feedback provided by the AP at its April 2019 meeting, which will be the first framework meeting for this action.

Meeting Materials

The Surfclam and Ocean Quahog (SCOQ) Advisory Panel meeting will meet via webinar on Thursday, March 14, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The purpose of is to provide feedback on the Public Hearing Document for the SCOQ Excessive Shares Amendment. More details on the action can be found at: http://www.mafmc.org/actions/scoq-excessive-shares-amendment.

The purpose of this meeting is for the Advisory Panels to review and comment on recent stock assessment information for summer flounder, as well as the reports and recommendations of the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee regarding revised 2019 fishery specifications (i.e., catch and landings limits and management measures) for summer flounder as well as expected new specifications for 2020-2021. The AP will also be asked for recommendations on recreational management measures for summer flounder in 2019. The Council and ASMFC will consider input from the AP when adopting 2019-2021 catch and landings limits and 2019 recreational measures for summer flounder.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel will meet on Friday February 22, 2019 from 10:00 am to 12:00 p.m. The meeting will be held via webinar, which can be accessed at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/feb2019msbap/. Participants may also connect via telephone by calling 1-800-832-0736 and entering room number 5068871.

The purpose of this meeting is for the Advisory Panel to review public comments and staff recommendations and provide recommendations for preferred alternatives for the Chub Mackerel Amendment. The Council will consider the Advisory Panel recommendations when they take final action on this amendment. This amendment considers adding Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The amendment includes alternatives regarding catch limits, accountability measures, and other conservation and management measures required for stocks “in the fishery.”

The Council’s Tilefish Advisory Panel will meet via webinar on Wednesday, February 20, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The purpose of the meeting is to create fishery performance reports for blueline and golden tilefish by the Council’s Tilefish Advisory Panel. The intent of these reports is to facilitate a venue for structured input from the Advisory Panel members for the Tilefish specifications processes, including recommendations to the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting via webinar, jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel. The meeting will be held on Monday, November 19, 2018 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to review and provide feedback on proposed recreational management measures (e.g., bag limits, size limits, and seasons) and strategies for the recreational summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries in 2019.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel and Committee will meet on Monday September 24, 2018 from 10:00 am to 12:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held via webinar, which can be accessed at: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/chubapcom2/ Participants may also connect via telephone by calling 1-800-832-0736 and entering room number 5068871.

The purpose of this meeting is to review and provide comments on a draft public hearing document for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Chub Mackerel Amendment. This amendment will consider adding Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The amendment will consider potential catch limits, accountability measures, and other conservation and management measures required for stocks “in the fishery.”

The purpose of this meeting is to review recent fishery performance and develop a Fishery Performance Report and/or other recommendations in preparation for development of annual specifications commencing May 1, 2019.

The meeting will be held via webinar at the following link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/dogfishap2018/. Anyone can also attend at the Council office (800 N. State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901; telephone: (302) 674-2331). Please call the Council at least 24 hours in advance if you wish to attend at the Council office.

The purpose of the meeting is to create a Fishery Performance Report by the Council's Spiny Dogfish Advisory Panel. The intent of the report is to facilitate structured input from the Advisory Panel members into the specifications development process.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss recent performance of the commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass, and develop annual Fishery Performance Reports for these fisheries.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Bluefish Advisory Panel will meet jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Bluefish Advisory Panel on Monday, June 25, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is for the Advisory Panel to create a fishery performance report (FPR). The intent of this report is to facilitate a venue for structured input from the Advisory Panel for the bluefish specifications process. The FPR will be used by the MAFMC’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and the Bluefish Monitoring Committee (MC) when setting 2019 management measures designed to achieve the recommended bluefish catch and landings limits. In addition, the MAFMC and ASMFC will consider input from the Advisory Panels in August when reviewing these specifications.

The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only connection option.

The Mackerel, Squid, Butterfish Committee and Advisory Panel will meet jointly via webinar on Thursday, May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to develop recommendations for the Council regarding modifications to the Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery closure possession limits. Currently no Atlantic mackerel possession is allowed by federally-permitted commercial vessels once 100% of the commercial landings quota is reached. The Council is considering changing the trip limit once 100% of the commercial landings quota is reached. The Council is scheduled to take final action on this issue at its June 2018 Council meeting via a Framework Adjustment to the MSB Fishery Management Plan.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel and Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 from 10:00 am to 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore – BWI Airport, 890 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum, Maryland, 21090; telephone: (410)-859-8400.

The purpose of this meeting is to review development of the chub mackerel amendment and to develop recommendations to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on management alternatives and other aspects of the amendment. The amendment will consider adding Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The amendment will consider potential catch limits, accountability measures, and other conservation and management measures required for stocks “in the fishery.”

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel will meet on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The meeting will be held via webinar at http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/scoq2018ap/

The purpose of the meeting is to develop a fishery performance report by the Council’s Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel. The intent of this report is to facilitate structured input from the Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Advisory Panel members to the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee. Advisors will also receive an update on the clam dredge access framework under development by the New England Fishery Management Council.

The Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Advisory Panel of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will meet via webinar on Friday, April 13, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held via webinar with a telephone-only audio connection: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/msb-ap-2018/. Telephone instructions are provided upon connecting, or the public can call direct: 800-832-0736, Rm: *7833942#.

The purposes of the meeting include:

To create a Fishery Performance Report by the Council’s Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel. This report facilitates structured input from the Advisory Panel members for the MSB specifications process for the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).

Gather Advisory Panel input regarding rebuilding options and other management measures for Atlantic mackerel, including the river herring and shad catch cap.

The purpose of the meeting is to create fishery performance reports by the Council’s Tilefish Advisory Panel. The intent of these reports is to facilitate a venue for structured input from the Advisory Panel members for the Golden and Blueline Tilefish specifications process, including recommendations by the Council and its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).

Webinar

The meeting will take place over webinar with a telephone-only connection option.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is one of eight fishery management councils responsible for the management of marine fisheries in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. The council develops management plans for twelve species of fish and species off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic region.